Vegetable-snipping machine



Feb. 24, 1931. J, L, FUHREMANN 1,794,009

VEGETABLE SNIPPING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 23 m INVENTOR.

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Feb. 24, 1931. J. 1.. FUHREMANN VEGETABLE SNIPPING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N V EN TOR. a/U/mam/n,

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JACOB L. FUHREMIANN, OF BER-LIN, WISCONSIN VEGETABLE-SHIPPING MACHINE Application filed April 18,1929 Serial No. 356,006.

This invention relates to improvements in vegetablesnipping machines, and more particularly to a IIlELChlllG fQl' snipping the end POI'tlOnSOf-bGZl-IISL.

Aprimary ob]ect* of the invention is to provide a machine of arelatively large capacity for expeditiously and efficiently, without undue waste, severing and removing the end portions of edible vegetables and particularly string beans, preparatory to the beans beingeooked and canned, said severing operation generally being known as shipping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a snipping machinein which the beans are carried in an upright position to the shipping knivesby a pocketed endless conveyor.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a snipping machine in which the beans are engaged by the shipping knives while in a vertical position with the conveying member being arranged to automatically reverse the beans as to ends after the first shipping operation to present to another set of shipping knives the other ends of the beans.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a snipping machine of the class described so arranged that the bean ends will practicallv always be engaged by and operated on by the cutting knives.

A further object-of the invention is to provide a bean shipping machine in which the beans are not unduly tumbled andbruised rendering them unfit for use. i y

A further ob 'ect of the invention is to provide a bean snipping machine in whichthe beans, when in snipping position, are held vertically, with the provision. of means, adjacent the knives, for jolting the conveyor, to aid gravity in causing the beans to sink within theconveyor pockets, so as to cause their lower end portions to engage the knives;

A further object of the invention is to provide a snipping machine having means for engaging andreinoving from] the main conveyor, beans which were improperly positioned for snipplng and reconveying the same to the hopper. i

A further object of the invention is to provide in a snipping machine, means for auto matically cleaning the conveyor pockets rearwardly oi the discharge end of the conveyor.

11 further ob ect of the inventlon is to providca snipping machine for beans and the like which is of very simple construction, is eliicienhrapid and automatic in its operations, is strong and durable, and is welladapted for the purposes described.

v i/ ith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved snipping machine, and its parts and combinations,

as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof. 1

In the accompanying crawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same part-sin all of the views: p

Fig; 1 is a side view of the improved snipping machine Fig. :2 is a plan view thereof with parts broken away;

Fig. Sis an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the pocketed conveyor; and

Fig. i is a crosssectional view taken on line i e ofFig. 2 and on a larger scale. 1

Referring now more particularly to thedrawings it willappear that the supporting frame for the improved shipping machine is indicated generally by thenumeral 6 and journaled in bearing brackets 7, Sand 9 can ried by said frame are shafts 10, 11 and 12, on the opposite end portions of each of which are mounted fast pairs of sprockets 13, 14 and 15 respectively.

The pairs of sprockets 13, i l and loare adaptedto carry and tomotivate the main endless, conveyor oi' the machine which is indicated generally; by the numeral 16. Said main conveyor consists of a pair of spaced chains 17 extended around said sprockets and between said chains are pivotally securedthe flanged endportions of a plurality oispaced flights 18. To divide the spacesbetween adjacent flights into rows of cells .or pockets 19, said flights carry at right angles thereto partitions 520 which are oi? less length than the distance between adjacent flights and the partitions of adjacent pairs of flightsare overlapping, as shown in Fig. The overlapping arrangement of said partitionspermits aspreading of the same, without complete separation, when said portions are carried by the conveyor chains around the sprockets. l V

Extending laterally from the 'machine frame'fi is a side frame 21 carrying a'bearing bracket '22 in which is journaled a two-partshaft- 23 Said shaftcarries fast and loose I pulleys 24 and 25 respectively engageable by move the main conveyor.

a belt 26 extending to a source of power (not shown), by which means the shaft 23 isdriven. One end portion of -said shaft is formed with a worm 27 engaginga worm wheel 28 mounted fast on the end portion of the sprocket shaft 10, on which shaft he sprockets 13 are mounted fast. Hence, said sprockets 13. are turned An inclined hopper 29 is mounted on frame members 30 adj acent the upwardly directed portion of t ne-main conveyor between the sprockets 14and l5. Said hopper comprises an upper bucketportion 31 with a guide 7 portion 32 connected to the lower front portionthereof-over a short conv yor belt 33 which travels over rollers portion is formed with sideaprons which terminate over the pockets of the main conveyor and interiorly said guide portion 1s divided by longitudinal partitions 35 spaced apart the width of the conveyor pockets. 7

String beans are deposited the upper bucket portion 31 and slide and are pushed therefrom into the guide portion 32 wherein the partitions separate the beans so that only suitable quantities will be delivered into the various pockets of the main conveyor. The roller 34 and the belt 33 are driven by a sprocket 36 mounted fast on the roller shaft 37 and said sprocket is connected through a chain 38 with a sprocket 39 fast on the shaft 11, which is driven as previously described. Therefore, by the moving belt 33 the beans are carriedin the channels between said partitions and are deposited lengthwise in the registering pockets of the main conveyor.

surface of the stationary knife plate by a pair of pivotally connected arms .44 having wrist pin connections with cranks mounted on the driven shaft 23. The stationary knife plate is somewhat longer than the movable kiiife plate and is formed with depending inwardlyextending flanges 46 to guidingly with thesha-ft 1O to.v g

' 1 of op'enlngs as shown and thereciprocating Said guide support the end plate. I 7

As shown clearly in FigsQ and 4 both knife plates are formed throughout their lengths with spaced-transverse rows of elongated openings, the openings of the'stationary platebeing designated by the numerals 47 and the openingsof the movable plate being designated by the numerals 48. The walls of the openings 47 are inwardly tapered, while the walls of the openings 48 are oppositely tapered, asin Fig. 4, and normally the rows of openings 47and 48 register with the result-thatthe lower end portions of beanswithin the pockets of theinain cone veyor are disposed with respect to the sets action. of the movable knife plate will cause the bean ends'engaged to be sheared.

.The shearing or cutting of one set of ends of the beans takes place along the upper length of the main conveyor'and when the ends of the knives 41 and 43 are reached the conveyor port-ioncurves around the sprockets 13 and in so moving the upper portion of the conveyor becomes the bottom portion and the beans in the pockets thereofare' end-wise reversed and the lower uncuteiids (origi-/ nally the upper ends) rest against a pan 49.

Adjacent the termination of'said pan 49,

portions of the movable knife below the lower length of the main conveyor, 7

a stationary knife member 50 and a movable knife member 51 are mounted, said knives being similar to the upper knives 41' and 43 described in detail, and the uncut ends of the beans are snipped or sheared thereby. The

movable knife member 51 isreciprocated byv arms 52 operated by cranks 53 fast on a lower shaft 54 which is driven through gears 55, 56, 57 and 58 from the upper shaft 23.

After the ends of the beans last mentioned are snipped said beans are carried by the pocketed main conveyor past the lower ends of the knives 50 and 51 and drop into a receiving member 59 mounted on an endless conveyor belt 60 which extends over and around drums G1, 62, 63 and 64. Said conveyor belt carries the snipped beans to an elongated inspection table portion 65 where they may be sorted and removed for packing.

The conveyor belt 60 is driven'by abelt 66 extending-to a source of power (not shown) and said belt 66 drives a pulley 67 fast, on'an end portion of the shaft 68 of the drum or roller 62. V

Disposed over the lower length of the main conveyor beyond thereceiving member 59 is a transverse pipe 69 formed with orifices 7 0. Said transverse pipe 69 is connected by a pipe 71 'with a. source of fluid supply (not shown) and fluid under pressure is discharged through the orifices into the conveyor pockets and cleans the same-prior to their coming into pixtaposition with the member 32 for re loading.

' conveyor It may happen that some of the beans delivered to the main conveyor will not lodge in the pockets thereof, but will lie across the flights 18 and PELIt-ltlOllS 20 forming the pockets. When this is the case the beans so disposed will not be snipped by the knives conveyor 72 is provided with fixed inclined side portions 7 9 and one of the same engages the curved end portion of the main conveyor and scrapes therefrom improperly disposed unsnipped beans which beans are carried upwardly by the conveyor 72 and drop from the upper end portion thereof to an endless conveyor 80.

The conveyor is carried by spacedrollers 81'and 82 and on the shaft 88 of the roller 81 is a fixed pulley 84 engaged by a belt 85 extending to a source of power (not shown) for driving the conveyor 80. The other roller 82 is carried by a shaft 86 journaled in bearings 87 mounted immediately above the hopper 29. Hence, by this arrangement the improperly disposed unsnipped beans will be scraped from tl e main conveyor and carried by the conveyor 72 to he conveyor 80 and permitted to drop from the end portion of the latter into the hopper 29 to be again fed to the pocketed conveyor for snipping.

The intermediate portion of an elongated angular lever 88 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 89 carried by an upper horizontal portion of the main frame below the knives ll and 48. One end portion of said lever carries a small roller 90 engaged by the surface of a cam member 91 mounted fast on the shaft 10. The other end portion of said lever is upwardly off-set and carries at its upper end portion a rod 92 transversely to the knives ll and 43 and immediately therebelow. Said rod also carries rollers 93 adjacent the side edge portions of the knives and main conveyor. Due to the engagement of the lever roller 90 with the cam 91 said lever will be rocked, causing the rollers 93 on the rod 92 to gently jolt or shake the main conveyor so as to cause the beans in the pockets thereof to settle correctly in the pockets with their lower end portions in position to be snipped by the knives.

t will thus be seen that in the improved snipping machine beans or the like are deposited in upright positions into a pocketed conveyor which carries the beans over a pair of complementary knife members which snip the lower ends of the beans. Then, by the movement-of the main conveyor the beans are end-wise reve'rsed'and the other ends are snipped by another set of knifejmemhers. After thisaction the snipped beans are cleposited onto a conveyor for carriageto an inspection table and otheroperations. Also means are providedfor removingbeans im it properly positioned on the main conveyor and for returning the same to the entrance end of the main conveyor for redisposition.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved vegetable snipper is simple and eificient, and iswell adapted for the purposes "described.

WVhat is claimed as the invention is:

1. A snipping machine, comprising a moving endless pocketed conveyor having upper and lower lengths, means for feeding beans into the pockets of said conveyor so that the beans are carried substantially upright upper cutting mechanism forming the tom of a portion of the upper length of the conveyor for snipping the lower ends of the beans, means for removing from the conveyor beyond the upper cutting mechanism beans improperly positioned on said conveyor, and a lower cutting mechanism forming the bottom of a portion of the lower inverted length of the conveyor for snipping the other ends of the beans.

2. A snippin machine, comprising a moving endless pocketed conveyor having upper and lower lengths, means for feeding beans into the pockets of said conveyor so that the beans are carried substantially upright, an upper cutting mechanism forming the bottom of a portion of the upper length of the conveyor for snipping the lower ends of the beans, means for removing from the conveyor beyond the upper cutting mechanism beans improperly positioned on said conveyor, means for carrying removed beans and redelivering the same to the forward end portion of the conveyor, and a lower cutting mechanism forming the bottom of a portion of the lower inverted length of the conveyor for snipping the other ends of the beans.

3. A snipping machine, comprising a moving, endless conveyor having upper and lower lengths and carrying outwardly projecting partitions defining rows of pockets, means for feeding suitable quantities of beans into the various pockets of the conveyor, the conveyor carrying the beans substantially upright, an upper cutting mechanism forming the bottom of a portion of the upper length of the conveyor for snipping the lower ends bot- 4T I I 1,794,009

7 moving adjacentiboth pairs of cutting mechanisms and presenting one set of the encls of Vegetables carried thereby to one cutting IIlGCllELHlSIIl forsnipping, means for removr ing fromthe conveyor beyond said firstmentioned cutting mechanism beans improperly positioned on said conveyor, and means forclirecting the conveyor after the first snippingoperation to cause an endwise reverse! ofthe vegetables to present the other set of vegetable ends to the other cutting mechanism for snipping.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. JACOB L FUHREMANN. 

